Label-attaching machine.



No. .67l,005. Patented Apr. 2, I91".

w. s. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filed D90. 10, 1897 Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.)

(NoModeL) 16 Sheets Sheet I.

No. 67!.005. Patented Apr; 2, mm.

W. s. suemmn.

'LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Apblicuti'on filed Deb. 10, 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.)

(No Modem l6 Sheets-Sheef 2.

z/zzza /ywm m: Nom'us PETERS 0a., moro-ufm, wasamqvom n, c

No. 157L005. Patented Apr. 2, I90l.

W. S. SHERMAN. LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE. (Application med me. 10. 199?.

Renewed Supt. 10. 1900.

I6 Sheets-8heal 3.

{No Model.)

n: "cams Fnzns co.. moraumon WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. s7|,0o5. Patented Apr. 2, 19m.

' w. s. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE. (Application filed Dec. 10, 1897. Renewed S s t. 1

mo Model.)

No. 67l,005. Patented Apr. 2, l90l.

w. s. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACI-IING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 10. 1897. Renewed Se pt, 10, 1900 [No Model.

l8 Sheets-Sheet s.

No. 67I,005. Patented Apr. 2, mm. W. S. SHERMAN. LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Applicavtion filed Dec. 10, 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900:

I6 Sham-Sheet 6.

(No Model.

mu NORRIS PETERS 00., mam-um). wnsums'rom n. c

No. e7|,0o5, Patented Apr. 2. l90l.

- w. s. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHINGMACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1897, Renewed Septs lO, 1900.) (No Model.) l6 $haets-$heat 7.

M M ma: 1:17 fie I 122 cams lrrcm cow. Pumoumu. Msmnamu. n. c

No. 671,005. Patented A r; 2, l90l.

w. s. SHERMAN. v LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900. B l6 Sheets-Sheet 8.

n1: NORRIS PETERS 00,. morauruo" WA$NINGTDN, u c.

N0. 67I,005. Patented Apr. 2, IBM.

w. s. SHERMAN.

' LABELATT AGHINGJAGHINE.

1 [Application filed Dan. 10. 1am. Renewed Sept. 10', 1900.; (No Model.) l6 Sheets-Sheet 9.

WMAW EMMA THE nonms PETERS 0a., Piioraumo" WASNKNGTON, n, c.

N0. 67l,005. Patented Apr. 2, I90l.

' W. S. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 1.0 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900-) I6 Shaots$heat In.

-No Model.)

No. 67|,005. vPatented Apr. 2, I90l. W. S. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1897, Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.)

No Model.) l6 Sheets-Sheet ll.

64 jza m I20 7 3 15 w m: norms mus co. morauwm WASHINGTON a c No. e7|,o05. Patented Apr. 2, 1901.

W. S. SHERMAN. LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filed Dec. 10, 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.!

.(80 Modei.) us Sheets-Sheet |2.

No. 671,005. Patented Apr. 2, |90L W.- S. SHERMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE. 9 (Application filed Dec. 10. 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.)

I6 ShBaiS -Sheet B.

(No Model.)

No. 67!,005. Patented Apr. 2, I90l.

w. s. SHEB MAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application ,filad Dec. 10. 1897. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.)

I6 Sheets-Sheet 14.

(No Model.)

No. 671,005. Patented Apr. 2, I901.

W. S. SHEBMAN.

LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

Application filed Dac. 10,. 189?. Renewed Sept. 10, 1900.. (No Model.) l6 Slmels-Sheet l5.

W. S. SHERMAN. LABEL ATTACHING MACHINE.

(Application filad Dec. 10.

(No Model.)

Patented Apr. 2, 190i.

Renewed Sept 1.0,, 1.900.:

l6 Sheets- Sheet is.

' Z/ZM%%M JW WM 7,7- H 39' KID?! Hu' HI! III m I lINiTEn STATES PATENT @EETQE.

WILLIS S. SHERMAN, OF MILWAUKEE, VISOONSIN.

LABEL-ATTACHING MACHINE.

ILIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 671,005, dated April 2, 1901. Application filed December 10, 1897. Renewed septcmbcrlO, 1900- Serial No. 2&536- fl mo To rtZ/l whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIS S. SHERMAN, of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in LabeLAttaching Machines, of which the following is a description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in machines for affixing labels or other thin sheets of material to bottles or receptacles.

In large establishmentssuch,for instance, as breweriesmany thousands of bottles each day are required to have labels affixed there on. When this work is done by hand, it ohviously necessitates the employment of many persons and the loss of a great deal of time, especially as in most cases bottlesnot only have labels affixed to the body thereof, but also to the neck portion, as well as tin-foil secured thereto around the upper portions of the necks. Further, the proper affixing of the labels is entirely dependent upon the accuracy of the eye of the operator.

It is the object of my invention to provide an improved machine which will perform the operations above referred to automatically,- the invention being of such nature as not only to provide an improved construction for affixing labels to the bottles, but also of such construction to be adaptable when a bottle is properly disposed on the table thereof.

to perform the operations of affixing a necklabel, body-label, and to finally wrap tin-foil around the neck of the bottle and incidentally performs the functions of applying glue to the labels preparatory to said labels being affixed, cutting the labels the proper length, brushing and smoothing said labels and the tin-foil, and finally brushing and polishing or burnishing said tin-foil.

tVith the above primary and other incidental objects in view my invention consists of the devices and parts or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a plan view of the complete machine with two of the corners broken away. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation at right angles to the base. Fig. 3 is a vertical section approximately through the center of the table, but showing the bodylabel device in full line. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section below the table-line on an irregular plane, with some of the parts broken away to show the arrangement for revolving the mechanism at the different stations. Fig. 5 is a section through part of the machine to disclose the under side of the table, showing in dotted lines the relative positions of the different friction-gears and also showing one of the revolving disks as broken away. Fig. 6 is a side view of the upper portion of the first station for aflixing neck-labels and showing only part of the table and also other parts broken away. Fig. 7 is a rear view of Fig. 6. Fig. Sis a plan view of Fig. 6, showing somewhat more of the table than is disclosed in said Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a cross-section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 6. Fig. 10 is a side view of the upper portion of the second station for aiiixing labels to the body of the bottleand showing part of the table in section. Fig. 11 is a rear view of Fig. 10, showing the paper-roll in section; Fig. 12 is aplan view of Fig. 10, parts removed and parts in section, and also showing the label partly attached to the body of the bottle and the knife out of cutting position. Fig. 13 isa plan view of Fig. 10, parts broken away, and showing the label in the act of being finally attached to the body of the bottle and also in the act of being brushed and the knife in the act of cutting the label the proper length. Fig. 14 is a side view of the upper portion of the third station for the tinfoil, parts broken away, and showing a frag ment of the table. Fig. 15 is a rear view of Fig. 14. Fig. 16 is a plan view of Fig. 14:, showing atfraginent of the table. Fig. 17 is a plan view of Fig. 14, part in section. Fig. 18 is a plan view of a fragment of the table and a fragment of the third station and a part of the fourth station for brushing the tin-foil, showing the pawl released from the notch he table and the wedge-pin of the third static in position to force the frictionwheel around a slight distance. Fig. 19 is a view similar to\Fig. 18, the fourth station being omitted, but showing a fragment of the pawl which is attached to the fourth station and also showing the wedge-pin as having forced the friction-wheel around and further showing the pawl as raised and resting on thetop of the table in position to engage the knife-controlling mechanism, taken on the line 22 22 of Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a horizontal section of Fig. 22, showing the air-ports in the position which they occupy when the label-cutting knife is out of operation. .Fig. 24' is a horizontal cross-section of Fig. 22 showing the position of the ports when the label-cutting knife is in a cutting position.

Fig. 25 is a horizontal section of the labelcarrying drum or roller, showing the gluingroller and a fragment of the body-label-cutting device and also showing the label as partly attached to a fragment of a bottle and the knife out of cutting position. Fig. 26 is a view similar to Fig. 25, showing the bottle as having passed by the label-drum and the label entirely attached to the bottle and the knife in the act of cutting the label. Fig.

27 is a section through the label-holding drum at the second station and also showing the gluing device, the inner part of the label-drum being in full line. Fig.- 28 is a cross-section on the line 28 28 of-Fig. 26, showing one portion of the label in section and as being held against the drum by meansof a vacuum and another portion of the label in section and showing it as having been blown away from the drum by means of airpressure. Fig. 29 is a section of the drum at the third station, or the station where the tinfoil is applied, showing said tin-foil as being attached toa bottle, said bottle being shown in dotted lines, and said figure also showing part of the mechanism in dotted lines for clearness of illustration. Fig. 30 is a rear view of the drum shown in Fig. 9, the gluingroller being partly in section. Fig. 31 shows the rubber roller by means of which the labels or tin-foil are held up to thed'r'um. Fig. 32 shows a portion of the mechanism for driving the brushes and revolving the bottles at the fourth station, parts being in section and broken away, and showing in full line the normal position of one ofthe friction-rolls and the other position of said friction-rolls in dotted lines. Fig. 33 is a detail of Fig. 32 at right angles to the position in which said detail is shown in Fig. 32. Fig. 34 is a detail of a device for holding the upper portion of the bottle, parts broken away. Fig. 35 is an end view 01' Fig. 34, parts being broken away. Fig. 36 isa plan view of Fig. 34, showing the upper part of the frame. Fig. 37 is a view of the friction-roll used at the first station. Fig. 38 is a view of the friction-roll used at the second station. Fig. 39 is a view of the frictionroll used at the third station, the direction of rotation being shown by arrows; and Fig. 40 is a detail of the friction-roll of the second station, showing the same in engagement with the bottle-revolving friction-roll and also showing the label-holding drum.

For the sake of clearness I will divide my machine throughout the description thereof into four principal subdivisions or parts, which I will designate as stations and indicate the same, respectively, by the letters A, B, O, and D. Station A is the station at which the neck-label is affixed; B, the station where the body-label is affixed; O, the station where the tin-foil is affixed to the neck, and D the station where the labels and tin-foil are finally smoothed by the same brush which previously acted on said labels and tin-foil, although at this station said brush is revolved at a faster rate of speed than its previous rate of rotation as compared with the other stations, the direction of revolution of the brushes and of the bottle being in an oppo site direction, and at the same time at this station another and independent burnishingbrush is acting on the tin-foil to polish the same. I

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 41 indicates a base for the machine, which base is provided at four different points, corresponding to the location of the stations A, B, C, and D, with vertical extensions 42, 43, 44, and 45, 'respectively. Also extending upwardly from the base is an upright or standard 46, provided with a base-plate 47,011 which rests a gear-Wheel 48. Surrounding the upright or standard 46 is a tubular shaft 49, having a base-flange 50, which rests on the gear-wheel 48. The weight of the shaft 49 and the parts carried thereby engenders sufficient friction on the gear to cause said gear to rotate the shaft and parts carried thereby therewith. At an intermediate point is affixed to the shaft 49 a table 51. This table is advisably of circular form and is provided therearound with a series of openings 52, twelve being provided in the machine illustrated'in the accompanying drawings. The under side of the table is provided with a series of webs 53, each ofwhich at its outer end supports a tubular portion 54,which forms a bearing for a shaft 55. These bearings are connected, and thereby strengthened and reinforced, by a brace 56, integral with and depending from the table and extending from one bearing to the other. The shaft carries at its lower end a friction-roller 57 and at its upper end a bevel friction-roller 58. The upper portion of each friction beveled roller is formed or provided with a socket 59, and in the bottom of this socket is secured a buffer 60, composed of a plate of rubber or other suitable material. Each socket extends into one of the openings 52, and its function is to receive the lower end of the bottle.

Near its upper end the tubular shaft 49 is formed with a shoulder 61, which is adapted to support a hub 62, having a series of arms 63 radiating therefrom. The outer ends of IIO 20 is a pin 72.

side with a series of depending tubular bosses 66, and the ring or annulus is provided with openings, 67 in alinement with the bores of the bosses. Into the alined openings are fitted tubular stems 68. The stems extend below the lower ends of the bosses and are enlarged, the enlargement formed interiorly with a conical socket 69, in which the upper ends of the bottles are centered. The upper end of each enlargement forms a shoulder 7O,

[5 which fits against the lower end of the boss.

Secured to the inner end of each arm 63 is a bracket 71, consisting of a base portion and the two opposite side portions. Extending from one side piece to the other of the bracket The numeral 73 indicates a rocking lever which is provided with a depending car 74, through which the pin 72 passes, said lever being permitted thereby to turn on or with the pin. The rocking lever for a portion of its length is tubular, and in this tubular portion is fitted a stem 75, which extends from a beveled roller 76, said beveled roller bearing against the inner end of the rocking lever. That portion of the rocking lever 0 which extends outwardly from this tubular 5 vertical pin 79, said loose collar being located on the vertical pin between two fixed collars 80 S0. The loose collar is provided at opposite points with grooves 0r recesses 81, the opposite side walls of said recesses being con- 4o ical, with the points or apices of the cones opposite. As the rocking lever turns the flat spring 77 turns therewith, and the points or apices of the conical sides of the recesses form fulcra for the turning of the end of the flat 5 spring, and the divergent endsof the grooves permit the flat spring to assume difierent angles. Thenumeral82indicatesaspringwhich at one end is secured to the base of the bracket 71 and at its upper end is connected to the rocking lever 73.

It will be understood that this machine is shown as capable of accommodating twelve bottles at a time, and the base or lower end of each bottle is adapted to fit in the sockets 59, while the upper ends of the bottles are fitted in the sockets 69, as will be hereinafter more fully described. There is for each bottle in the machine a construction similar to the parts shown in Fig. 34, which parts, therefore, throughout the several views will be designated by the same reference-nuinerals.

The upper end of the upright or standard 46 is formed with two inclines 83 83, which necessarily form two surfaces 84 84', the for mer being on a higher plane than the latter.

The several beveled rollers 76 are adapted to rotate on the upper surface of the upright or standard 46, and as the shaft 49 is revolved, and consequently the radiating arms 63 revolve therewith, said rollers are compelled to travel around in a circle on said upper surface of the standard or upright and to ascend one incline and descend the other, thereby traveling from a lower to a higher plane, and vice'versa. As one of the rollers 76 travels up an incline it will cause the rocking lever 73 to turn on its pivot and force downwardly the pin 79, carried at the end of the flat spring 77. This will cause said pin 79 to press on the stopper or cork of the bottle held in the socket 69 and also force the lower endof the bottle firmly into the socket 59. After thus ascending the incline the roller rides around on the surface 84, whiclris on the highest plane, until it reaches the other incline, when it descends, and this descent allows the spring 82 to act on the rocking lever in the opposite direction and raise the pin 79 out of contact with the stopper, and the roller then rides on the lower surface 84, which lower surface raised positions. It will be understood, of course, that with each rocking the same op eration is repeated. The object of providing the rocking lever with the fiat spring 77 is to permit said fiat spring to allow or compensate for any inequalities in the stopper of the bottle or for any variations in the lengths of the bottles. The lowerend of each pin 79 is preferably formed with teeth, as clearly shown in Fig. 34, whereby in case wires pass over the top of the stopper, as is frequently the case, the spaces between theteeth will accommodate the wires, and said teeth furthermore serve to prevent the pin slipping sidewise, and thus preventing the bottle from getting out of center. 7

Projecting upwardly from the table 51 are a series of studs 85, there being two of such :studs for each opening 52 of the table and into which openings the sockets 59 extend. These studs have mounted revolubly thereon rollers 86, preferably having the peripheries thereof covered with rubber. Fig. 2 of the drawings shows one of the bottles in the act of beingplaced in position in the sockets. In the first place the upper end of the bottle is passed into the socket 69 and the lower end of the bottle swung in against the rollers 86, which rollers centerthe lower end of the bottle directlyin alinementwith the lowersocket 59. Mon uted in a bearing formed on or fastened to the base 41 is a vertical shaft 87. Carried on the shaft. 87 is a double-baud pulley 88. Around the lower portion of this pulley passes a belt 89, which leads to anv suitable source of power-supply. Around the upper portion of the band-pulley 88 passes another belt- 90, which extends to and around an idle pulley 91, mounted fast on a vertical shaft 92, rotatable in a suitable bearing therefor in the base. The belt next passes around a pulley 93, which is mounted on a shaft 94, said shaft turning in boxes 95 95, which boxes project serves to hold the lever and the pin in their from and are made integral with a bracket 96, said bracket being slotted to accommodate the pulley. The bracket is supported on a pivot 97, and one end of said bracket is formed with a projecting apertured lug, through which the upper end of a stud 98 passes. The stud is encircled beneath the lug by a coiled spring 99, the lower end of said spring bearing against adjusting jam-nuts 100, whereby the tension of the spring may be regulated. Taking onto the upper end of the stud 98 are jam-nuts 10]. 101, which serve to hold the pivoted bracket in adjusted position. The upper end of shaft 94 has mounted thereon a friction-wheel 102. This friction-wheel is adapted to engage the friction-wheel 57 at the lower end of the shaft 55, which shaft through the upper friction-wheel 58 rotates a bottle. The object in mounting the shaft 94 in the bracket 96 is to provide against any slight error of construction and, furthermore, to allow for wear in the journal-boxes 54 and 95. It will also be noted that the pivot-center of the bracket is in line with the central strain of the belt, whereby the action of the spring 99 is not appreciably affected. The pivot 97 of the bracket,'as will be seen from Fig. 4 of the drawings, is a spool, which fits an opening in the bracket, and its inner end bears against the vertical extension 42. A screw 103 passes through this spool and engages a threaded opening in the extension 42, while its head bears against the outer enlarged end of the spool, the shoulder 104, formed by the enlarged end of the spool, bearing against the bracket. It will be noticed that the opening in the spool for the screw is sufficiently greater in diameter than the diameter of said screw so as to leave a slight space between the two. In the first place the spool affords an augmented bearing-surface circumferentially in the spool and also at the outer end of the spool by the shoulder 104, and in the second place from the fact that the bore of the spool is sufficient-ly greater in'diameter than the screw to leave a space an opportunity for adjusting the bracket, and with it the friction 102, is afforded.

In order to give more friction-su rface to the belt 90, another idle wheel 105 is provided, around which said belt passes. From this pulley thebelt is extended to another pulley 106, which is pivoted and otherwise arranged in exactly the same manner as the pulley 93, and it is then passed around another idle pulley 107, similar to pulley 105, and thence to and around another pulley 108, similar to pulleys 93 and 106. This pulley 108 is also pivoted and otherwise arranged exactly in the same manner as pulleys 93 and 106. Hence in the drawings I employ the same reference-numbers to indicate the pivots and other corresponding parts contiguous to these pulleys. It will be understood that pulleys 93,106, and 108 and their parts are arranged in the machine at points corresponding to stations A, B, and O. From pulley 108 the belt is extended to and around another idle pulley 109, similar to the pulleys 105 and 107,

and from this idle pulley 109 is extended to a pulley 110, mounted on a vertical shaft 111, which shaft also carries a pinion 112, which meshes with and drives the gear-wheel 48. From pulley 110 the belt is extended to and into the groove of a small driving-pulley 113, thence over an idle pulley 114, and finally back to the main driving-pulley 88.

The table 51 carries a series of spindles, one for eachbottle carried by the table, one of said spindles being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. This spindle is indicated by the numeral 115, and its upper end has its bearing in a box 116 and its lower end in a box 117. Mounted on eachof these spindles are three brushes, the lower brush 118 being the brush for the body-label of the bottle, the intermediate brush 119 being the brush for the neck-label, and the upper brush 120 being the brush for the tin-foil. These brushes are separated and held apart by means of sleeves. The brushes are held down to place on the spindle by means of a nut and washer turning on the spindle and binding the brushes between the washer and a lower collar. The lower end of each spindle,which extends below the box 117, has mounted thereon a friction-wheel 121,and also at its lower extremity another frictionwheel 122. These two friction wheels are preferably in one piece and fastened to the spindle. The upper surface of the lower wheel 122 is of conical form. Each brushspindle is rotated when its adjacent bottle reaches the respective stations A, B, and C by means of the friction-roller 57, the latter engagingthefriction-roller 121. Rotation to this roller 57 is imparted at each station A, B, and C by means of the friction-roller 102 engaging said roller 57. It will be understood that each one of the brush-spindles is rotated in this manner at each station A, B, and O.

The construction of the mechanism at each of the stat-ions A, B, O, and D will now be explained in regular sequence.

The mechanism at station A is supported by'the vertical extension 42 of the base. Forming part of said mechanism is a housing 123. In this housing is located a friction cam wheel 124, said wheel being mounted on a vertical shaft 125, said shaft carrying at station A as well as at station 0 at its upper end a pinion 126, which meshes with an intermedi ate pinion 127, which intermediate pinion in turn meshes with another pinion 128, carried on a shaft 129. This shaft 129 has mounted thereon a body-label drum 130. The numeral 131 indicates a top plate connected at one end to the upper end of the vertical extension 42. This top plate is formed with an upwardly-extending tubular boss 132, in which is fitted a cylindrical plug 133. This is surrounded'below the boss by the label-carrying drum 130. Extending vertically from the upper end of the plug and downwardly to a point near the lower end thereof are two passages, 

